Apparatus for aligning and registering forms for multicolored printing



2 Shets-Sheet 1 B. l. KAYE ATUS FOR ALIGNING AND REGIST RMS F MULTICOLORED PRINTI F" d April 25, 1941 July 13, 1943.

APPAR INVENTOR.

H mm? ow m 5 W Q mvw liti a M .& {M J filw W fwE INVENTOR.

4 m QM.

BEA/JA/V/A Z KAY F BY ATTOAPNEYS FORMS FOR MULTICOLORED PRINTING Filed April 25, 1941 APPARATUS FOR ALIGNING AND REGISTERING July 13, 1943.

Patented July 13, 1943 APPARATUS FOR ALIGNING AND REGISTER- ING FORMS FOR MULTICOLOR-ED PRINT- ING Benjamin I. Kaye, New York, N. Y.

Application April 25, 1941, Serial No. 380,262

7 Claims.

This invention relates generally to the art of printing and more particularly to methods and apparatus for facilitating the fitting and aligning of printing elements, forms or plates, in the first instance and successive forms in multi-color printing with the key forms to obtain their proper and accurate arrangement with respect to one another.

Heretofore in the alignment of printing elements, forms or plates for a successive step in multi-colored printing, such alignment was obtained by trial and error which was laborious, time consuming and frequently inexact. In my copending application Serial No. 309,050, filed December 13, 1939, I disclosed and claimed an apparatus making use of a transparent sheet upon which the key image was printed or otherwise depicted in one color and which was disposed above a chase or stone or imposing table to guide the aligning of succesvie printing ele-' ments, forms or plates, as well as the method of exactly aligning such printing elements, forms or plates.

The present invention has for its primary object apparatus in which the transparent sheet is so supported as to facilitate access to the printing elements or plates which are being adjusted into correct alignment or registration with the key image on the transparent sheet.

In carrying this aspect of the invention into effect, the ends of a transparent sheet are wound upon supports to be respectively wound and unwound to bring the key image thereon at the selected position over the stone, imposing table or the like, whereby printing elements adapted to be used, say, for printing a different color, may be correctly position thereunder in register therewith, Devices are preferably pro-- vided whereby the relative displacement of the sheet is automatically and exactly controlled by movement of the devices supporting and carrying the transparent sheet.

The invention also seeks means to permit slip in the reels on which the transparent sheet or transparency is mounted to compensate for the difference in diameter of the rolled ends of the sheet as the sheet is transferred from one roll to another.

A further object of the invention is the pro-" vision of devices adjustable over a stone or imposing table for correctly aligning the first or key form or forms.

The invention has for another object apparatus for guiding the arrangement of printing of practicability of manufacture and convenience in use.

These and other objects of the invention and the means for their attainment 'will be more apparent from the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view showing an imposing table over which the transparency supporting deviceof this invention is adapted to move along tracks; 1

Figure 2 is a View partly in end elevation and partly in section showing the device of Figure 1 taken in the plane indicated by the broken line 2-2 of Figure 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken in the plane indicated by thaline 33 of Figure 1 and looking in the direction of the ar-' rows;

Figure 4 is a view partly in elevation and, partly in section showing, on an enlarged scale..- details of the roll releasing device of Figure 2.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, the sup-v porting surface l0 may represent an imposing table or stone, indicated at I0 in Figures 1 and 2, on which is supported a chase ll. Along each side of the supporting surface If! is a track or rail l2- supported in any convenient fashion as froma frame member l4 whereby the rails or tracks 12 are parallel to one another. In the illustrated embodiment, the rails I2 take the form of racks; On the rails is mounted a carriage indicated as a whole at l5 and comprising longitudinally extending plates or frame members zlfi held in spaced and parallel relation by spacing and connecting rods l 8, the rods being of such length that the frame members l6 are disposed inwardly of the respective racks I2. Journaled in each 'frame member 16 is a shaft 20 shown as ofa length greater than the spacing of the tracks [2. ed on the shaft 20 are pinions 22 formed on their inner and outer sides respectively with hub portions 24, 25, theyhub; portion 24 serving to: space the toothed portion of each pinion from a frame member l6 so that the teeth will be positioned to mesh with and travel along the racks l2.

Means are provided whereby relative movement is permitted between the pinions 22 and the reels on which ends of the transparency I1 are wound in order to 'roll up the respective ends of the sheet when it is mounted on the frame.

elements which is practical from the standpoint As illustrated, the hubportions 25 on the outer Removably mount-u sides of the respective pinions are provided with latching devices whereby the shafts may be disengaged from the pinions to wind an end of the transparency when desired. Each shaft end is provided with a plurality of apertures or recesses 26 adapted to receive the rounded end of a latching plunger 28 reciprocable in a plunger housing 30 threaded into a passage in the hub 25 of the pinions 22 and normally pressed, by a spring 32 toward the axis of the shaft. The plunger 28 has a head 34 for convenient grasp in raising and lowering the plunger and a locking member 36 is provided by which the plunger can be retained in disengaged position in a manner well known in the art.

Each shaft 20 conveniently carries a member.

herein illustrated as a roller 38 to represent any member about which the end of the transparency isrolled and unrolled, secured thereto against relative movement as by a locking screw 46. Obviously disengagement of the locking screw or any latching device between roller 38 and shaft 26 would permit the reel to be turned to wind up the end of the sheet thereon. Each end of a transparent supporting or carrying indicia is secured in any convenient manner to a roller. As illustrated, the roller" 38 is formed with a longitudihall'y extending recess 42 into which a bar 44 is disposed. An end of the transparent material I1 is clamped in the recess 42, being passed. beneath by the bar 44, although any other convenient means to this end may be utilized. Thus as the carriage is moved along the rails, the pinions are turned and with them the reel members and the transparency H is rolled from one reel 33 to the other so that as one reel is turned to roll up the transparency, the other reel is turned to unwind the other end of the transparency.

It will be appreciated that as one reel turns to wind up an end of the transparency, the di- A ameter of the coil of transparency increases while the diameter of the coil on the other reel decreases. Provision is therefore made for differences in the length of the reach of the sheet between the two reels. The transparency is therefore guided around a pair of idler rolls 46 and 48. sition on the frame I6 substantially underneath one of the reels 38. The other idler guide roll 48 is a floating take-up roll and the axle thereof is adapted to move in a slot 50 formed in the frame member Hi, the slot extending in the longitudinal direction of the rack I2. Pivoted above the take-up roll 48, as at 52, is a lever 54 bifurcated at its lower end, as at 56, to straddle the shaft of the take-up roll 48. The upper end of the bifurcated lever 54 is connected by a power storing device such as the coil spring 58 to 8. lug or pin 59 on the frame l6 and conveniently on the opposite side of the vertical plane of the uide roll 46 from the lever. Pin 58 is fixed in position so that the normal tendency of the arm 54 is to rock about its pivot 52 in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 3, to move the take-up roll 48 away from the idler roll 46 and maintain the transparency between rolls 46 and 48 taut. A pin in hole 6| in lever 54 and hole 66 in frame I6 renders the friction device inoperative.

The operation of the apparatus according to Figures 1 through 4 will be apparent from the foregoing description. That reach of the transparency (indicated by the reference character extending between the idler rolls 46 and 48. extends above the surface of the imposing table The idler guide roll 46 is fixed in pc- H) a sufficient distance to permit a chase II or the equivalent to rest upon the surface of the stone l6 with its upper surface slightly below the transparency portion 55. In order that the pinions of the carriage I 5 may be correctly placed on the racks l2, index lugs 62 may be mounted on the respective rails in corresponding relative position so that the carriage will commence its travel from the same tooth, coacting index members 64 which are carried on the frame members l 6 and the carriage is placed on the rails at the beginning with the two index .members 64, 64 on opposite sides of index member 62. The image on the transparency is in reverse, that is, the transparency is mounted in the machine so that the printed image is on the underside of the sheet.

The frame [6 is moved and arranged so that the key image 66 on the transparency I1 registers with the first or key printing element or first form. The carrier is then travelled over the rails to bring a subsequent image in operative position. A corresponding subsequent printing element for a second color can then be shifted and arranged in position to register with the image on the transparency directly thereover. In order to adjust the furniture to properly position the printing element within the chase H to register with the image on the transparency, access may be readily had thereto from either end of the frame, that is, by reaching under the idler rolls 46 or 48.

The operation of the aligning devices of this invention will be apparent from the foregoing description. Suffice it to say that there is here presented aligning devices applicable to any support such as an imposing table or stone or other member by which the exact registration of printing elements whereby initial and subsequent color printing is attained.

Various modifications will occur to those skilled in the art in the specific instrumentalities by which the transparent aligning devices are supported and guided for movement and no limitation is intended by the phraseology'of the foregoing description or illustrations in the accompanying drawings, except as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for guiding the arrangement of printing elements on an imposing table or the like comprising a pair of parallel tracks adapted to be disposed along the sides of the imposing table and carrying racks, a frame extending between the racks, a shaft extending between the frames and rotatably mounted therein, pinions carried by the ends of the shaft outwardly of the frame and adapted to mesh with the racks, rollers extending between the frame members, means to clamp the respective ends of a transparent sheet to the rollers whereby said trans parent sheet may be rolled on the respective rollers and extend therebetween above the surface of the imposing table and means to take up slack in the reach of the sheet between the rollers.

2. Apparatus for guiding the arrangement of printing elements on an imposing table or the like comprising a pair of parallel tracks adapted to be disposed along the sides of the imposing table and carrying racks, a frame extending between the racks, a shaft extending between the frames and rotatably mounted therein, pinions carried by the ends of the shaft outwardly of the frame and adapted to mesh with the racks,

means to adjust the pinions with respect to the shaft, rollers extending between the frame members, means to clamp the respective ends of a transparent sheet to the rollers whereby said transparent sheet may be rolled on the respective rollers and extend therebetween above the surface of the imposing table, an idler roll beneath one of the rolls about which the transparent sheet is directed, a roller offset with respect to the other roller and movably supported in the frame, a lever provided with a bifurcated end embracing the last mentioned roller and a spring secured to the upper end of the lever and anchored at its other end to the frame, said bifurcated end embracing the other roller to move the rollers away from one another to take up slack in the transparent sheet between the rollers.

3. Apparatus for guiding the arrangement of printing elements on an imposing table or the like comprising a pair of parallel racks adapted to be disposed along the sides of the imposing table, a frame extending between the racks, pinions carried by the ends of the shaft outwardly of the frame and. adapted to mesh with the racks, cylindrical rollers carried by the pinions, means to clamp the end of a transparent sheet to the respective rollers whereby said transparent sheet may be rolled on the respective rollers and extend therebetween along the bottom of the roller and above the surface of the imposing table.

4. Apparatus for guiding the arrangement of printing elements on an imposing table or the like comprising a pair of parallel tracks adapted to be disposed along the sides of the imposing table, a frame extending between the tracks, shafts extending between the frames and rotatably mounted therein, annular members carried by the ends of the shafts outwardly of the frame and adapted to travel on the tracks, means to adjust the annular members with respect to the respective shafts, rollers rotatably mounted on the shafts, means to releasably secure the rollers to the shafts, means whereby a transparency may be rolled on the respective rollers and extend therebetween above the surface of the imposing table, an idler roll beneath one of the rollers about which the transparency is directed, a roller offset with respect to the other roller and movably supported in the frame and means to take up slack in the transparent sheet between the rollers.

5. Apparatus for guiding the arrangement of printing elements on an imposing table or the like comprising a pair of parallel tracks adapted to be disposed along the sides of the imposing table, a frame extending between the tracks, shafts extending between the frames and rotatably mounted therein, rotatable means carried by the ends of the shaft adapted to travel on the racks, means to adjust the rotatable means with respect to the shaft, means whereby a transparent sheet may be rolled on the respective shafts and extend therebetween above the surface of the imposing table, an idler roll beneath one of the rolls about which the transparent sheet is directed, a roller offset with respect to the other roller and movably supported in the frame, a lever provided with a bifurcated end embracing the last mentioned roller and a spring secured to the upper end of the lever and anchored at its other end to the frame, said bifurcated end embracing the other roller to take up slack in the transparent sheet between the rollers.

6. Apparatus for guiding the arrangement of printing elements on an imposing table or the like comprising a pair of parallel tracks adapted to be disposed along the sides of the imposing table, racks carried by the respective tracks, a frame extending between the racks, shafts extending between the frames and rotatably mounted in the frame, pinions carried by the ends of the shaft outwardly of the frame and adapted to mesh with the racks, means to adjust the pinions with respect to the shaft, shafts extending between the frame members, cylindrical rollers rotatably mounted on the shafts, means to secure the rollers to the shafts, each of said rollers being formed with a longitudinally extending recess of rectangular cross-section, a bar within the recess to clamp the end of a transparent sheet therein whereby the ends of said transparent sheet may be rolled on the respective rollers and extend therebetween along the bottom of the frame and above the surface of the imposing table, an idler roll beneath one of the rolls about which the transparent sheet is directed, a roll offset with respect to the other roller and movably supported in the frame, a lever provided with a bifurcated end embracing the last mentioned roller and a spring secured to the upper end of the lever and anchored at its other end to the frame, said bifurcated end embracing the other roller to take up slack in the transparent sheet between the rollers.

7. Apparatus for guiding the arrangement of printing elements on an imposing table or the like comprising the combination with an imposing table, of guide means relatively fixed wlth respect to the imposing table, a frame movable over the table, spaced rollers carried by the frame, a printed transparent sheet, means to secure the ends of said sheet to the respective rollers, operative connections between at least one roller and the guide means whereby said transparent sheet is transferred between the rollers as the frame is moved from place to place along the table.

BENJAMIN I. KAYE. 

